We Fight Tomorrow

"Wrong. You are not going to slay me. You are going to remove your armor and set down your weapon, have a good meal-" I can tell you haven't had one in a long time-" get a good night's sleep, and in the morning you will tell me the name of who sent you, and then you can go home."

Madison’s stomach growled, and she wanted to tell it to shut the f**k up. She lifted her spear and pointed the edge to the tip of the woman’s bulbous nose. Her eyes tightened, her jaw clenched.”I cannot go home until I see you dead.”

The woman lifted her cup of tea and sipped. Brown eyes stared back at Madison, so damn relaxed.“Get on with it then, old friend.”

Madison’s nostrils flared, her brown eyes wavering in resolve. However, she shook her head, tightened her grip on the spear.“This is your fault you know.”

“Oh?”

“If you had just kneeled like everybody else.”

The woman tossed her head back, and her laughter shadowed the room as the fire crackled in the hearth, casting streaks of light over her dark skin. The room smelled of incense and melting wax. “You think obedience will save you in the end?”she challenged. “What a fool you’ve turned out to be.”

Madison’s knees buckled, and her spear lowered. Now, her body was working against her, and this woman had not even tossed a single spell. She has always been so damned kind. “You’ve chosen your side, Valeria.”

Valeria rose from her seat, and Madison scolded herself. Why not attack now? Except her hands wouldn’t move. She had slain many beasts, foes, magic users, but it was her dearest friend�"who was now her enemy�"that her body refused to fight. Instead, it was fighting itself. “Come, I will make you your favorite.”

Madison groaned, stabbed her spear into the floor, and followed Valeria. Tomorrow, we will fight. But first, I will rest.